In order for something like this to work, Doc Johnson needed to start with a high quality sex toy that was sure to please. In this case they decided to go with a rabbit style vibrator with rotating shaft and vibrating stimulator. The sex toy appears to have solid construction with a firm shaft encased in purple transparent rubber. The shaft has detailing on it to simulate veins that may be found on a real penis. It also has a healthy size rabbit stimulator with good sized ears designed to envelop the clitoris. The sex toy can be used stand-alone or attached to a computer. Since the shaft is transparent, I can see the inner components and it looks like they didn’t skimp on the internals as all the beads used to stimulate the shaft are threaded on their own beams and all the gearing appears to be substantial (the designers seem to want to make this toy last for a while).

The base of the rabbit vibrator has five control buttons. The two lower control buttons are used to turn on the vibration and rotation. The same buttons can also be pressed multiple times to increase the speed of rotation or vibration. The top three buttons are used to switch between different patterns of rotation and vibration. The base of the unit also contains the 4 AA batteries (not included) that power the unit. The base appears to be made out dark pink pearlized plastic and has Doc Johnson and High Joy logos on it.

I recruited my new lab assistant to see how this sex toy works before delving into Internet control. I warmed her up with a little warming-lube and then stimulated her with the rabbit ears. This got her going pretty good and before I knew it, she was begging for the full ride. The Internet Enabled High Joy Rabbit has a substantial shaft on it and it seemed to be just right for her as it slid in. As I started up the rotating shaft and moved it in and out, the rabbit ears did a good job of sandwiching her clitoris and driving her crazy with lust. I sped up the unit and tried a few of the different patterns. She seemed to enjoy them all and within a few minutes she was pushing the unit away saying she was done with a big smile on her face. Apparently this unit really did a number on her as she said she would now be useless for the rest of the day. From what I could see it was one body shaking orgasm.

Now it was time to test out just how well this unit works across the Internet. The toy comes with a small startup CD that can be placed into any shelf load CD tray. From what I can see it just walks the user through some basic steps to setting up the toy like checking for power (did you install the batteries) to plugging in the cable. It then takes you to the High Joy website. If you have a computer that doesn’t accept mini CDs as it has a slot load design (no tray); just go to http://www.highjoy.com and sign-up for a free 30 day membership. The sign up is quick and it doesn’t ask for a credit card (as of 19-Jun-2005) or other form of payment. There are different types of memberships ranging from a full dating club membership to couples membership (designed for you and a lover). The fees (beyond 30 days) very depending on how extensive a membership is desired.

Once I was at the site, I downloaded the High Joy Chat Console, a healthy sized download for those without broadband (11.5 MB). The console appears to be a standard instant messaging console with support for video and communities. When I logged on with the High Joy Console, I started out in the Lobby (meeting place for those that just logged in) and I could see other chat areas. I didn’t see anyone else online when I logged in, so I would guess that Sunday afternoon isn’t a popular time for chat and play. I am also guessing that because this community is so new that it will take time to build up an active user base. The High Joy Chat Console also contains a button for the control panel which can be used to remotely control a lover’s toy. The control panel mimics the local controls found on the rabbit base.

I created another account for my lab assistant on her laptop and sent her home with the Internet Enabled High Joy Rabbit. When she got home, she gave me a call and we both logged on with our clients. I met her in the lobby and started up a private chat session with video. After we established that the basics worked, we moved on to Internet sex play. I started up the control panel and she accepted the invitation to play. I was able to watch all the action across the video link. The control panel worked remotely about the same as if I were actually pushing the buttons on the sex toy. Of course her hands had to work the toy in and out and side to side, but it did make me feel like I was involved. Once again the sex toy got here there within a few minutes.

My research has shown me that one of the reasons that two people need an intermediate meeting place and host like High Joy is that working with toys across the Internet can be tricky for direct connections due to firewalls, proxies, and security. Most messenger clients including the High Joy console avoid this problem by having a common connection point that is always in place (like the High Joy servers). In order to keep these servers up and provide that common meeting place, High Joy charges a small membership fee (after the free 30 day trial). Other clients like Yahoo™ and MSN™ may not charge a membership fee as they run ads and try to sign you up for other revenue producing activities. It would be great if High Joy offered an option that allowed for free connections beyond the 30 day trial or if High Joy could come out with a console that allowed members to directly connect to each other without going through High Joy.

Overall I liked the combination of sex toy and technology that High Joy and Doc Johnson have put together. The High Joy community looks like it is still filling up so Internet dating or play with strangers will have slim pickings for now but should improve over the next few months. The real draw at this point will be to connect with an existing lover and have private sessions where either participant can control the toy and watch each other on video. Some additions to the Internet Enabled High Joy Rabbit that I would ask for are a non-monthly fee based connection to each other’s toy (perhaps ad based) and a way to direct connect without having to rely on High Joy (for privacy and longevity concerns – what if High Joy goes away?). For the price of the unit and a free 30 day membership, I think that you get a high quality rabbit vibrator with a new twist on Internet sex.